By Marnie Kunz, NASM-certified personal trainer

This guide to weightlifting for women outlines all the essentials you need to get started with resistance training. Whether you’re new to weightlifting or have been doing it for a while and are stuck in a rut, you can find exercises and sample workouts to add to your program. As a fitness trainer and running coach, I’ve been weightlifting for years and am still always surprised at the low numbers of women weightlifting when I go to the gym. There are many myths and misconceptions about weight training for women, which I will debunk, as well as highlight the incredible benefits of weightlifting for women. Lastly, I am including beginner and intermediate-level weightlifting exercises that you can add to your arsenal so you can enjoy the wonderful reward of strength training.

Related Post: 10 Best Home Workout Exercises to Try

Benefits of Strength Training for Women

Weightlifting for women offers many health benefits. Weightlifting is a form of strength training, also called resistance training. Another form of strength training is bodyweight exercises. This guide focuses mostly on weightlifting, but the benefits of strength training in general are far-reaching and apply to all forms of resistance training (whether you use resistance bands, weights, or your own body weight for resistance).

From helping prevent osteoporosis to building confidence, these are some of the big rewards of strength training for women:

Better Heart Health

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in the United States, according to the National Library of Medicine. Strength training reduces women’s risk of heart disease and related conditions like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and stroke.

Stronger Bones

Women suffer from bone diseases like osteoporosis at much higher rates than men. Weightlifting helps strengthen your bones, improve bone density, and reduce your risk of bone thinning and osteoporosis, especially after menopause. Resistance training can also help cut down on your likelihood of getting certain bone cancers.

Stronger Muscles

Although it may be obvious that weightlifting builds stronger muscles, people don’t often know the benefits of this. Improving your muscle strength helps with everything from reducing your risk of injuries and falls to boosting your athletic performance. Building lean muscle mass also speeds up your metabolism and helps with weight loss and maintaining a healthy weight.

Blood Sugar Regulation

Strength training helps improve your body composition, reducing body fat and building lean muscle. This helps lower your risk of getting diabetes. Weightlifting for women also improves blood sugar control and insulin response, which helps with managing diabetes.

Improved Cognitive Function

Weight lifting offers cognitive benefits as well. According to researchers, lifting weights can slow and even halt cognitive decline in brain areas particularly vulnerable to Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

Better Confidence and Mental Health

While men are often praised for their athletic skills, women have historically been overlooked. Weightlifting can help women build a sense of confidence based on their athletic abilities and strength, which is much healthier than focusing on their appearance. Weightlifting also can improve mood and lead to reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression, according to researchers.

Myths About Women and Weightlifting

Women have often been sidelined from weightlifting and other physical fitness activities because of ideas of femininity and what’s “acceptable.” Weightlifting was associated with masculinity and considered “unfeminine.” Although women’s weightlifting is now a sport, there are still many misconceptions about women and weightlifting. Here are a few common ones:

Myth #1: Weightlifting Makes Women Bulky

This is one of the most common misconceptions I encounter as a trainer. As a running coach who also loves weightlifting, I have met many runners, especially women, who are worried weightlifting will make them “too big.” The truth is that weightlifting helps women lose weight, reduce body fat, and improve body composition.

As women age, they lose 3 to 5 percent of muscle mass per decade starting at age 30. This can lead to difficulty performing daily activities and an increased risk of falls. Strength training helps slow down and combat this muscle loss, building muscle and improving women’s quality of life.

To build bulky muscles would take specific genetics and a very specific, high-intensity training program and nutrition plan. If you look around in a gym, you’ll see that very few people have bulky muscles, and if they do, they specifically are following a bodybuilding workout plan. The risk of getting bulky from weight lifting for women is, therefore, not an issue.

Myth #2: Weightlifting is Not “Natural” for Women

This is another one of the common myths I have encountered about women lifting weights. Women and men both have muscle tissue and the ability to be strong. Weightlifting for women offers many health benefits - from improved metabolism and brain health to stronger bones.

There is nothing unnatural about women’s weightlifting, and in fact, women even have the ability to do more heavy weightlifting workouts than men as they can recover faster. Check out Dr. Jaime Seeman’s TedX Talk for more details on this phenomenon.

Myth #3: Women Should Lift Light Weights and Do High Reps

Another common misconception is that women should lift small weight amounts and do a lot of reps to “get toned.” To build strength and reap the full benefits of weightlifting, women (and everyone else) need to increase the weight amount or intensity over time to continue to make progress.

This follows the principle of progressive overload, which states that incremental increases in weight or intensity help improve fitness and strength. Light weights are fine for starting out, but if you’ve hit a fitness plateau and want to get stronger, slowly increasing the weight that you lift is essential to make improvements.

Beginner’s Guide to Weightlifting for Women

If you’re ready to begin a weightlifting program, here are some tips to help you get started, as well as beginner-friendly weightlifting exercises. First, set aside at least two days per week to lift weights. The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommends doing at least two strength training sessions per week for good health.

When you schedule your weightlifting workouts, give yourself at least one day of rest between weightlifting sessions so your body has time to recover. So, if you do a full-body weightlifting session on Monday, for instance, you may do another full-body strength training session on Wednesday. Another option is to do upper body weight training on one day and lower body-focused exercises on another day, giving your major muscle groups time to rest on alternate days.

Next, seek guidance on proper weightlifting form if you’re not familiar with weightlifting. A certified trainer can help you learn the proper form for weightlifting so you maximize your health benefits and reduce your risk of injuries.

For a sample at-home strength training program, check out our free Beginner’s Home Workout Program. This program begins with bodyweight exercises to build your strength gradually.

For more personalized workouts, head to the Runstreet Training Center.

Beginner-Friendly Weightlifting Exercises

These are beginner-friendly weightlifting exercises you can do with a pair of dumbbells. Using dumbbells or your body weight for resistance offers a beginner-friendly way to build strength and fitness.

Upper Body Exercises

Triceps extension - Use one or two dumbbells.

Bicep Curls - Use a pair of dumbbells.

Dumbbell Bench Press - You can do this exercise on a bench or on the floor on a yoga mat if you don’t have access to a weight bench.

Single-Arm Bent Over Rows - You only need one dumbbell for these exercises since you train one arm at a time.

Lower Body Exercises

Squats - You can do these with just your body weight or hold dumbbells or kettlebells in each hand.

Lunges - Start with just your body weight and progress to holding dumbbells by your sides.

Side Lunges - Start with just your body weight and progress to holding dumbbells by your sides.

Glute Bridges - You can do these with just your body weight. For more intensity, hold a dumbbell across your hips.

Core Exercises

Planks - Begin with 20-second planks and gradually add more time until you can do 30 seconds or more per plank.

Dead Bugs - Do 10 on each side.

Sample Beginner’s Women’s Weightlifting Workout

Full-Body Workout with Dumbbells

Runstreet Women's Muscle-Building Workout Program - 4 Weeks

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Warm Up: 2 minutes of walking or jogging in place, then 30 seconds of jumping jacks. Repeat to do two sets for a 5-minute cardio warm-up.
Circuit 1: Dumbbell bench press, triceps extensions, single-arm bent-over rows, bicep curls. Do 2 sets of 10 for each exercise.
Circuit 2: Squats, lunges, side lunges, glute bridges. Do 10 reps for each exercise. Repeat to do 2 sets.
Core: Planks: 30 seconds of planks. 2 sets. 10 dead bug exercises. 2 sets.

Intermediate Weightlifting Exercises for Women

Intermediate weightlifting exercises may include heavier weights with the use of a barbell or more advanced movements, like Bulgarian Split Squats. Here are some intermediate exercises to add to your workout routine:

Barbell Squats - start with squatting just the bar and add weight plates incrementally.
Deadlifts - you can start with dumbbells and progress to using a barbell.
Hip Thrusts - use a barbell or a dumbbell across your hips.
Bulgarian Split Squats - hold dumbbells in each hand.

Nutrition for Weightlifting

Eating a nutrient-rich diet that’s high in protein will help you enjoy the most health benefits from your weightlifting program. Protein is crucial because it is the building block of muscle tissue, helping with creating lean muscle mass and repairing muscle tissue after workouts. Some protein-rich foods you can incorporate in your diet include:

Nuts such as almonds, walnuts, and peanuts
Lean meats such as chicken, turkey, and lean beef
Tofu
Lentils
Edamame
Greek yogurt
Eggs
Beans
Milk

In general, I recommend getting most of your nutrients from fresh foods, but if you’re crunched for time, a protein shake can give you a boost of protein on the go. If you have a protein shake, make sure you pick a brand without a lot of additives and sugars and one that has been third-party tested for the safety of its ingredients.

Tips for Getting Started Weightlifting

Set goals. They can be to lift a certain amount or to strength train twice per week, for instance.
Track your progress. Use a fitness tracking app or write down your weight amounts and reps in a journal.
Celebrate your milestones. Reward yourself for meeting your goals.
Work out with a friend or family member for accountability.
Schedule your workouts, and you’ll be more likely to stick to them.
Seek help if you are unsure about your form, weight amount, or other issues. A certified trainer can help you improve your form and create a workout designed for your fitness level and goals.
Eat enough protein. Many women want to lose weight and deny themselves vital nutrients in the process (which often leads to weight gain and an out-of-whack metabolism). Make sure you’re eating enough calories to maintain your energy levels and opt for nutrient-dense foods and high–protein foods. Seek help from a nutritionist if you’re not sure how much to eat, or ask your doctor for guidance.

Weightlifting for women is one of the best things you can do for your physical and mental health. If you need help getting started, head to the Runstreet Training Center, and I’ll be happy to assist you with training. Follow @Runstreet on Instagram for more workout tips.

Happy lifting to you!

Marnie Kunz is a NASM-certified personal trainer and USATF- and RRCA-certified running coach based in Brooklyn, NY. Marnie likes helping people get and stay active to enjoy a better quality of life. When she’s not doing fitness things, Marnie enjoys exploring with her dog, a mischievous rescue Akita.

Weightlifting for Women: Essentials from a Trainer